


Beginnings

by GhostLove



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: Blades, Blood and Injury, Childhood Friends, Developing Friendships, Eye Trauma, Gen, Healing, Injury, Magic, Major Character Injury, Origin Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 11:49:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30122328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostLove/pseuds/GhostLove
Summary: Leona is a capable kid, and he wants to prove it. Ruggie and his group are the perfect opportunity for that to happen, but some things go very wrong very quickly. Will the incident cause loss for Leona? What will happen with his loved one, and with his developing friendship with Ruggie?This work is a spin-off story for SunshineDragon's ongoing series: "The lion, The snake and the Golden Flower" - it is an alternate version of events for their original character's story, which centers around how her powers first awaken. I encourage you to read their work if you would like to get the true version of events later on. I have their full permission to post this.
Relationships: Leona Kingscholar & Original Character(s), Ruggie Bucchi & Leona Kingscholar
Kudos: 2





	Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SunshineDragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineDragon/gifts).
  * Inspired by [The lion, The snake and the Golden flower](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28339920) by [SunshineDragon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshineDragon/pseuds/SunshineDragon). 



> I just would like to thank SunshineDragon for all their hard work and dedication, and for everything they do. You are amazing. I would also like to thank any readers who come across this spin-off and I encourage them to check out SunshineDragon's works. They put a lot of love into what they create.

Large green eyes scanned over the nearby courtyard before stopping to fixate on the expansive walls that encased the area. Leona felt his tail thump against the banister below him in irritation as he balanced precariously atop the marble structure. Beyond those walls were normal kids who were living lives he had trouble even imagining, ones which he wanted to interact with.

Although Leona had many in his life who he cared for deeply, he felt ashamed to admit that many of them were introduced to him through his family. Indeed, they’d pre-approved nearly every connection he’d made in some regard – and the second prince could hardly stand that fact. This was especially so as he knew that right at that moment all the regular kids were making friends on their own; Leona wanted to be doing the same, to show his prowess to someone outside the tight circle he’d been entrapped in. After all, he knew he was exceptional – it was simply a waste that only those who knew that fact already would be able to see him in action.

The boy pushed his wavy hair away from his face as he continued to hold his perch, his vision straining to reach over the wall and see into the streets. Inside this palace he’d become a curse of a son in the eyes of the servants, someone who couldn’t ever hope to take the throne and whose magical abilities sparked gossip. Outside the palace though… he wondered if anyone even knew a single thing about him. The thought of being someone unknown for his reputation, someone who could show their worth without being tainted by gossip was something Leona wanted to grasp. He wanted to expand his world, and he wanted to show them all who Leona Kingscholar really was.

Leona’s ears strained as he listened out for others. He didn’t want to be discovered, but more importantly he was searching for something specific…

He closed his eyes a moment and allowed his hearing to focus further. Before long came the familiar sound of laughter rising up over the towering walls. Ah, there they were.

The boy quickly jumped from his balcony and climbed the large tree just outside his window. Moving down a long branch that extended slightly past the reach of the courtyard’s walls, Leona balanced himself once more and peered around. This was his chance.

For weeks he had been hearing other kids as they played just outside the bounds of the courtyard, kicking a ball back and forth and letting it bounce off the intimidating façade of the enclosure. Leona had wanted to join them, to get out there and make connections that he knew would be sure to form fast with someone like him. It wasn’t that he expected kids to care about his status, but instead he knew he was clever and skilled enough to gain approval on his own. At least, that’s what he felt.

The young lion shook his head as he noticed a small group nearby. He quickly dropped down from his perch – falling and landing a few feet away from the playing boys. Immediately he saw their heads raise towards him, their expressions filled with apprehension and curiosity. It was only a few seconds after that when the kid who looked to be the leader of the group – a boy with shaggy blonde hair and the rounded ears of a hyena – called out to him.

“Oi, what’s this now?”

Leona straightened up and peered at the group of three, his mouth pressed into a serious line as he sized up the others standing before him. Another kid in the group quickly piped up, his ears similar to those of the leader:

“Hey, isn’t that the spoiled rich kid from the palace? Hey! Kid! What are you doing out here?!”

Leona’s green eyes narrowed slightly, his tail swishing as he quickly began to take in the others. They sure liked to run their mouths, didn’t they? Maybe he should teach them a lesson…

The leader, in response, quickly reached across and smacked the other’s shoulder with the back of his hand – earning an angry yelp from the boy as he demanded:

“Ow! Hey, what are you-”

The leader sent a nod towards Leona, as if telling the others to “hold on” before he took a few steps towards the lion.

“Hey kid, whatcha doin? You can be honest, we’re not gonna bite”

Leona’s ears perked at the other’s words, his back straightening as he puffed out his chest. He wasn’t intimidated by the others at all, but he also knew that now was the time to show a bit of deference if he wanted to win them over.

“I wanna play” he stated simply, earning a few moments of silence from the group before they all burst out laughing. Leona’s face screwed up in anger, with the leader of the group soon replying:

“Oh, you do, huh? Sorry kid… I don’t think you can handle the way we play –”

Cutting off the blonde hyena was the sound of the group’s ball hitting he ground. After an audible bounce the boys heard the familiar sound of the object being kicked – hard.

“Get outta here kid!” the third member of the group yelled; his ears were pointed like those of a wolf.

The ball flew straight towards Leona’s face at high speed – causing a look of shock to rise up on the young lion before he gritted his teeth. In a flash the ball when flying back towards the group, the royal son having deflected it with his head while letting out a feral yell of anger. Leona’s teeth flashed in the bright sunlight as he let out a growl, the second prince not allowing anyone to get the better of him like that.

Before the group could react any further the kid that had kicked the ball received it once again – right to his nose. He let out a yelping cry and clutched his face, starting to sob immediately while the second kid ran over to him.

“Hey! What the hell –” the second boy started in anger before their leader put up his hand.

“Shut up,” he ordered before walking towards Leona, blatantly ignoring the two other kids behind him. The second prince stood fuming, his chest heaving in anger as his gritted teeth remained on display. His mind was whirring with the sheer insolence he was being shown; not only that, but he knew that if he didn’t establish that he wasn’t to be trifled with right then and there that he would be walked all over by the those standing before him.

“Hey, hey, calm down, kid.” The blonde child ordered before flashing Leona a broad grin. Leona blinked in surprise at the other’s words and expression, getting slightly more angered with the kid’s orders before he noticed the boy holding out his hand.

“Name’s Ruggie, that was a good shot back there. Seems like you’d be really fun to play with,” he hummed, continuing to extend his hand to the other. Leona stared at the limb like he’d just been offered an alien to hold. Ruggie blinked before he let out a chuckle, asking teasingly:

“Shishishi, what? You’ve never shook someone’s hand before?”

Leona turned his face up slightly, feeling another wave of anger overtake him. Did this kid think he was stupid? Leona then looked upwards towards the branch he’d dropped from, eyeing it warily. He wondered if it was worth even bothering with the kids before him.

“Hey, hey! Hold on, I’m asking you to join us!” Ruggie urged, immediately reading the other’s intentions. Leona allowed himself to resume eye contact with the other, his face holding a degree of suspicion – which Ruggie recognized almost instantly.

“Look, I know it wouldn’t be very fun playin’ with us if we teased ya all the time. But I’ll go easy on ya if ya try and have a sense of humour, deal?”

Leona resumed staring at the other’s hand, hesitantly reaching out his own and squeezing the other’s palm tightly. He pushed aside his anger and his doubts for the moment, recognizing that to some degree he’d already won over the leader. Although he knew he was much more suited for such a role, the young prince decided that he would have to put up with the group dynamics for now. In the meantime, he was simply contented to show his prowess and make the boys eat their words. What proof of greatness was better than winning over your enemies?

“Ok, I’m Leona, by the way” he agreed, earning a bright smile from Ruggie who shook the other’s hand back firmly.

“Alright, let’s have some fun Leona!”

It took a little bit of convincing before the other two kids agreed to play as well, with Ruggie sending them each a look that said “just trust me on this one”. Putting their trust in their leader the boys began passing the ball back and forth until the sun began to set – all the while Leona showed off the many skills that he’d honed, even while being confined within the palace. Once the young lion had noticed the time of day, he informed the others of his need to return home. Immediately Ruggie offered the help of both he and the other boys to boost Leona up over the wall, something which the royal son accepted. He kept up his show of graciousness even if he didn’t trust the kids as far as he could throw them. I wasn’t like the kids were a real threat to him anyway, and Leona knew that if they tried anything funny that he’d just land on his feet like always.

As soon as Ruggie saw the other disappear over the wall he couldn’t help but smile. The third child with his nose still throbbing noticed the other’s expression and demanded irritably:

“What the hell Ruggie? Why did you –”

“Shh!” Ruggie hushed, listening intently. He pressed one ear to the wall and waited, searching for any sounds that indicated Leona was still nearby. After hearing the thuds of retreating footsteps, Ruggie let out a slight giggle.

The two boys stared at him in confusion, the second boy asking in a hushed tone:

“What’s goin’ on? You just let that kid walk all over us!”

Ruggie sent the two boys a sly smirk, replying simply:

“Hey now, that kid was no wuss. What’s more, he’s the second son of the royal family, the one we heard about before.”

The two boys looked to one another before the young, injured wolf demanded of Ruggie:

“So? All the more reason we should have sent him home crying! Why the hell would we hang around a pampered shit like…”

Ruggie silenced the other with a slight glare, creating a brief pause before he gave his reply.

“Because he wants to prove he’s tough enough to hang with us, and he’s got money.”

The underlings stared at one another before they gave in to knowing giggles, their jovial voices faintly echoing in the empty streets. It wasn’t long before Ruggie joined the two, his laugher carrying above theirs slightly. Truth be told, the group had begun congregating outside the courtyard walls simply to escape the dismal conditions that existed back in their homestead; however, they had also always secretly hoped that they’d be able to gain some of the vast wealth that surrounded them and their loved ones – wealth which always remained just out of reach. Now that they’d met Leona, they had the perfect chance. 

After the group had finished their fun, Ruggie laid out his plan. He urged the other two boys to crowd in around him before he whispered:

“We just gotta get him to trust us a little, play with him a bit before we ask him for a little pocket cash. Who wouldn’t share with their friends if they’re all goin’ out for some fun, right?”

With a shared grin among the three boys, they began walking back towards their homes. They knew that if they played their cards right that they’d be set for quite some time.

Weeks passed between the four boys as they continued to play with one another. Leona joined the group for a few hours each and every day, his absence from the palace going largely unnoticed thanks to his many believable excuses. He’d thoroughly convinced his parents, brother, and the servants that he was merely studying in his room each and every day. After all, what family wouldn’t encourage such good behaviour in their son?

Indeed, Leona had to be careful about obscuring the truth. He’d been lectured before about how he and his family were “different” from the subjects of their kingdom – how there were places and people to be avoided, especially in the areas the light failed to touch. While he certainly believed that he was, in fact, different from the kids before him, he also knew that such a fact was not merely due to his status. Instead, he’d worked hard to become someone who was a cut above the rest. Still, he knew that if he’d heeded his parents’ warnings that the only interactions that he would be allowed to have would either be with his brother, Farena, or else…

Or else, he had Scheherazade.

Leona always felt his heart quicken when he thought of her, and he knew that – unlike everyone else – that the princess could always soften his edges. He had been introduced to the girl as a potential future bride, though she was not aware of such an arrangement. That fact was most likely for the better – as the boy wanted Scheherazade love him naturally. As a result, the wishes of his family were placed aside while the two got to know one another without pressure.

Besides her beauty, Scheherazade was also smart and fun to play with; however, she had her place in her own kingdom – which was all the way in the Land of Hot Sands. Subsequently, Leona sometimes went months without her visit, and those months had become unbearable recently. That unbearableness and boredom had been a huge motivation for sneaking out in the first place, though he had to credit Scheherazade with first noticing the boys gathering outside the palace walls. He really owed her a lot, and he was looking forward to their next visit – which was only a few more days away.

Dropping down from the usual tree branch once more, Leona landed on his feet and straightened up to face the boys. Ruggie immediately beamed at him, putting his mind at ease. Out of the entire group Leona felt he clicked with the young hyena best, the leader always making sure he was included and felt welcome. He appreciated the kid’s sincerity, though he knew better than to trust him fully.

The grinning boy moved in closer to Leona, his hand moving to his shoulder where he lightly gripped him.

“Welcome back! Are you all ready to go?”

The group had been discussing taking a trip into town over the last couple playdates, especially after Ruggie had asked the royal son if he’d ever been outside the palace walls. When Leona had explained his situation – that his father had only ever allowed him to see a few places he deemed “safe” – the young hyena had been quick to offer a tour of the place he and the others lived. Now today was they day they were to all head into town, and Leona had come prepared.

Leona nodded, reaching towards a small satchel on his side and pulling back the flap once Ruggie had withdrawn his hand. Gold coins caught the sunlight, making the other two boys chatter amongst themselves. Ruggie’s grin broadened.

Unbeknownst to the group, Leona had taken a few precautions with the bag. Although there was a good amount of money in the satchel (all from Leona’s fund no less), the majority of the bag was actually filled with stones from the palace garden – which made the bag heavy while also allowing for the natural sound of coins shuffling. Leona had faith that Ruggie had come to like him, he just knew better than to trust a group that had immediately recognized him as being from the palace.

“I’m not sure if I brought enough, but…” Leona began, allowing himself to trail off.

“That’s more than enough!” Ruggie quickly reassured the other, his smile never wavering. Leona nodded softly and closed the satchel again, which prompted the two underlings to quiet. Offering a more casual expression, Ruggie then stated with his hands on his hips:

“It’s real nice of you to think about bringin’ enough to cover all of us, Leona! We can’t thank ya enough.”

Leona locked eyes with the other, replying simply:

“Well, I have to do something to repay you for your kindness. You’re taking me around after all…”

Ruggie flashed another bright smile. Leona was happy his act was working, though he decided to continue going along with the group. He knew as a worst-case scenario that the kids would take off with some gold and a bag full of rocks. The best-case scenario though, was that he kept the trust of the kids and would expand his horizons while doing so. He really was interested in seeing how the others lived, and he thought that their friendships had been progressing nicely. Of course, he knew they were using him to some extent, but he couldn’t really say he wasn’t doing the same. They were fair-weather friends but he was vying to earn their unquestioned respect and admiration by showing off exactly who he was, and what he was capable of.

As the group walked towards their destination the three lower-class boys watched Leona like a hawk. This didn’t go unnoticed by the prince of course, who subtly began pulling the satchel closer to his body. It wasn’t long before Ruggie spoke up, keeping his tone casual as he hummed:

“Ah sorry, I forgot to mention this area we’re passing through is a little rough. Maybe it’d be better for us to carry the money? We know how to avoid pickpockets after all.”

Leona blinked, feeling something twist in his gut. He knew this scenario could only go one way, nevertheless he handed off the bag to Ruggie without fuss. He didn’t want to seem as if he didn’t trust the others – they were meant to be friends after all, right?

As the group continued onwards Leona noticed their surroundings getting darker. Over and over the words of his father played in his head.

_The shadowy place is beyond our borders – you must never go there._

Was that where they were headed?

Leona took a breath and kept the path he and the others had taken so far in the back of his mind. He was ready to walk himself home if things turned sour, though he didn’t plan on doing so until after he’d beaten the group senseless. They could take what meager coins he gave them and use the bag to carry their teeth back home as well. He would accept the loss as long as he didn’t leave any sort of impression that he was someone who could be screwed with.

As the four continued on the three original boys began to climb and snake around large rocks that dotted the landscape; their feet quick as they followed the paths that they had taken a thousand times before. Leona felt himself falling behind somewhat, yet he continued to push himself forward. Quickly he came to match the pace of the others, his agile body moving hastily over the difficult terrain.

Finally, the group seemed to stop – which prompted Leona to look around in surprise. There were large bones everywhere, bones which had clearly once belonged to elephants. He scanned the area slowly, taking in the dark and dismal place in silence. Was this really where they lived? There was nothing.

“Hey… are we getting close?” Leona asked casually, wondering if he’d actually been taken to their home or if he was just being led into an ambush.

Ruggie smirked slightly, asking in a teasing tone:

“What? Are you getting tired? Or maybe… you’re scared?”

The two other boys began to giggle, prompting Leona to reply simply:

“I’m not, we’ve been walking for a long time now and I just want to know –”

The young lion was cut off as Ruggie held up a hand dismissively and hummed:

“Yeah, yeah. We’re here”

Leona looked around again. He could hardly see a thing in the shadowy outskirts they’d come to. Letting his vision adjust for a moment, the young lion narrowed his eyes and peered towards what looked to be a makeshift shelter nearby. The structure consisted of a few large boulders slanted up against one another, as well as a colourful woven blanket that hung down over the opening that two rocks created. Ruggie’s hand found Leona’s shoulder as he followed the other’s gaze, a smile on his lips.

“Ah, I see you’ve spotted it,” he mused.

Leona narrowed his eyes more, asking lowly:

“What _is_ that?”

Ruggie giggled lightly, prompting the others to join in before he replied:

“It’s a test of courage.”

Leona stared at the blonde hyena, waiting for him to continue on. Just what the hell were they planning?

“See, over there is a little shop. The keeper sits inside all day and waits for customers to wander in. We like his stuff sometimes – but y’know, it’s overpriced junk as far as we’re concerned.”

Ruggie paused to watch the royal son’s face before he continued on.

“So, we were thinking we’d have a little fun. With the money you brought with us today that greedy old shopkeep is sure to let us have the run of the place –”

Another pause followed as Leona mulled over the information in his mind.

“And while we’ve got him good and distracted, you can nab what we’re really here for.”

Leona’s eyes narrowed once more; his was voice low as he demanded incredulously:

“And why would I do that?”

Ruggie smiled warmly, laying his innocent act on thick.

“Because the old man suspects us of course. He knows we’re from the area, but he’s also willing to overlook just about anyone as long as they’ve got cash. With his shitty business practices, we’d rather teach him a lesson and spend our money somewhere else while he’s crying like a baby over being ripped off by a buncha kids.”

The other two boys erupted into laughter at that, so much so that Ruggie quickly began shushing them – his fists coming down on their heads squarely. Leona felt anger rising up inside him. He knew this was a trap of course, though he wanted to try and suss out its exact nature before he took any further action. Lowly, he questioned:

“Why me? Why am I the one who has to take something?”

Another grin broke out across Ruggie’s face. Smoothly he wrapped his arm around Leona’s shoulder, asking in return:

“Like I said, old guy’s gonna be watching us. He doesn’t know about you though, so you can sneak in without him knowing and grab what we need. C’mon now, I thought you were tough! You are, aren’t you?”

Leona felt his jaw clench. His gut was telling him to turn around and walk away, but something else demanded of him to stay – to mess with them. He was the son of royals, and to be caught stealing would only reflect badly on he and his family. But he didn’t have to do anything like that. If he didn’t cooperate those idiots would get themselves busted and Leona could wipe his hands clean of them.

Taking in a slow and deep breath, Leona finally asked:

“What do you want me to grab?”

Ruggie grinned. Within minutes the three boys had wandered into the shop, spreading out quickly amongst the items while the shopkeeper snapped towards them.

“Hey! Don’t touch anything… hey!”

Quickly the man got up and began following the boys around. He was old with wavy silver hair, yet his body stood strong and tall as he lumbered forward. Leona watched him from the doorway, his own small form crouched low to the ground. Peering through a gap in the blanket, Leona quickly ducked inside when the shopkeeper was out of sight. He was playing his part well, though he didn’t intend to stay for long.

Before the group had entered the shop Ruggie had described Leona’s target to him. It was a small scarf that was beautifully woven in bright yellow with black designs. Crawling along the floor silently, it wasn’t long until Leona spotted the item; it sat near the shopkeep’s perch near the back of the impromptu store. Turning around immediately with the intent to leave, the lion suddenly stiffened. 

“I KNEW IT. YOU’RE THIEVES!!! ALL OF YOU!!!”

Leona turned his head sharply to face the noise when he saw the man towering over Ruggie. Looking over the scene Leona noticed the man had an item in his hand and the leader’s wrist in the other. Leona instantly knew that Ruggie had been trying to take what the shopkeeper now held for himself, especially as the boy began trying to tug away defiantly – his face turned completely away from the intimidating shopkeeper.

“I wasn’t stealing! Let me go!!!” he cried. Leona looked around the shop, trying to locate the two other boys. It wasn’t long until he noticed motion at the doorway and saw both kids bolting out into the shadowy outskirts again. Leona then saw something else that caught his attention, something that made his heart stop.

As he focused on the shopkeeper and Ruggie again, he noticed the older man raising something reflective above his head. Near to the two of them there had been a large knife sitting on display atop a flat rock. There were other setups like that all around the shop, their surfaces cluttered almost to a point where you couldn’t easily pick out all the items on first glance. As such, Leona had failed to notice the weapon until that moment.

It was then that the shopkeeper brought the blade down.

Ruggie let out a gasp as he found himself hitting the floor hard. His wrist had been released at the exact same time that something he couldn’t see had slammed into him. He turned his body in a mad scramble, trying to face the shopkeeper again only to hear a splitting cry fill the air. He stared up in shock as he watched Leona clutch his face, the angry older man demanding in a snarl:

“Who the hell are you?!”

Before anything else could happen, Ruggie grabbed Leona by his shirt and pulled him out past the doorway. The young lion stumbled all the while as he was led out, his hand still on his face. As Ruggie continued to run with the other boy he gasped out in a ragged plea:

“C’mon! We gotta move! You need to get your footing and…”

He froze.

The hyena looked back at the other while he was pulling him along. It was only then that he’d seen the blood and the long gash that now cut through the other’s eye. Stopping completely now, Ruggie faced Leona and asked with a trembling voice:

“Wait… what hap–”

Leona let out a long and agonized yell, his hands shaking with pain even as he pressed down over the wound. Ruggie felt his heart stop and his blood turn cold. He couldn’t get his mind to work any longer. What had happened? Where did the others go? And why was Leona…

The young royal locked onto him with his good eye, the large green orb suddenly piercing through Ruggie as Leona growled:

“Take me home. Just… take me home, damn it!!!”

Scheherazade stood outside Leona’s door, staring at the blockade as she listened intently. Upon her arrival a strange boy with blonde hair and round ears had approached her, asking if she knew Leona. I wasn’t long before the boy had been chased from her side, but he’d still manage to call back to her as he ran - stating that he wanted to know how Leona was doing. The princess had considered the incident to be only a little strange at first; that was… until she’d talked to Leona’s mother.

“We’re terribly sorry, sweet Scheherazade – but Leona’s been completely wrapped up in his studies lately. He’s refused to leave his room, and says he’s not accepting guests. Maybe if you go talk to him, he’ll change his mind? He needs a break after all.”

The girl felt her stomach sink as she remembered the older woman’s words, a quiet dread playing at the corners of her mind. Something felt wrong. Scheherazade pushed the feeling away for now and concentrated on the task she’d been given. Worrying over a situation she hadn’t confirmed yet was pointless.

Standing outside Leona’s room, her hand slowly rose to knock at the door.

“Leona? It’s me… Scheherazade.”

A long silence followed before a quiet reply rose up from behind the barricade.

“Sorry… I don’t think we can play… so go.”

Scheherazade listened closely to the other’s voice, immediately noticing something was off as she replied:

“Leona? Please… let me come in. I want to see you…”

There came no reply after that, yet the princess refused to leave. Instead, she puffed up her cheeks indignantly and urged:

“Leona! I came all this way and I can tell something’s wrong. Open the door or I’ll be mad at you!”

A few more moments of silence passed before Scheherazade heard the lock click. The girl couldn’t help but smile slightly in triumph before she grabbed the handle and pushed her way in.

“Leona, I’m coming in. Please, tell me what’s wrong –”

Scheherazade’s mouth fell open as she took in the sight that awaited her. Before she could call out Leona clasped his hand over her mouth and pulled her further inside the room. He made sure the door was shut and locked before he fully faced the princess, who stared at him with large and teary eyes.

The boy had a jagged gash running down over his right eye, which was practically swollen shut. The injury looked bad enough to where both children knew Leona probably wouldn’t be able to see again out of that side. Leona stared at Scheherazade intently, keeping his hand over her mouth as he whispered:

“I’m going to let you go, but only if you stay quiet. Ok?”

The girl slowly nodded, still in shock. Slowly, Leona removed his hand – the boy watching as Scheherazade breathed deeply. She looked like she was seconds from breaking down into sobs, her chest heaving as she squeaked out:

“Wh-What happened?”

Leona averted his gaze from her before stating softly:

“I can’t talk about it… It’s… It’s nothing really.”

The young boy then moved to his bed, laying on his side with his back to the other as he curled up in a ball. Scheherazade stared at him, noticing by the state of the room that he had probably been in that very same position for days. She could tell he was in pain, but that he was bottling everything up inside.

Why? What the hell had happened?!

“Leona…” Scheherazade began, watching as the boy’s tail curled around his body tightly.

“No.” came the curt reply, the boy hugging his knees to his chest and pressing his face in towards his body. He was putting up a wall between them.

Silence hung heavy over the room before Leona spoke up again.

“Just… go Scheherazade. There’s nothing you can do for me. You… you don’t need someone like me. Half-blind and – and, stupid. I’ll never be like I was before; I’ll have this scar forever to remind me of how stupid I –”

Leona jolted as he felt two warm hands grab his face and tilt it upwards. His eyes widened as he noticed a bright glow around Scheherazade, her lips moving as she recited a song Leona hadn’t heard before. Slowly he felt warmth collect in his face, the pain and throbbing in his eye subsiding. Seconds passed before Leona noticed he could see again out of the damaged organ – the swelling having dissipated along with the injury.

“Sh-Scheherazade! What –” the boy began. Scheherazade had never shown magical ability before, let alone one of healing. The shock of it all was almost enough to prevent Leona from noticing something else of importance. Namely, that Scheherazade’s magical energy only seemed to be growing more and more intense. Indeed, the young lion soon realized that her control was slipping, which sent the boy into a slight panic.

“Scheherazade!” he called, gripping the girl’s shoulders and shaking her. The girl’s eyes seemed to roll around in her head before she suddenly snapped to – her small body collapsing slightly as the prince held her.

Leona panted hard, alarm shooting through his body as he continued to grip the other’s shoulders. Slowly but surely, Scheherazade’s eyes came to focus on the other and she regained her footing.

“L-Leona?” she called, looking at the other in confusion. The boy smiled warmly to her – his eye completely healed… that was, except for a long scar over his right eye.

Scheherazade blinked in surprise, not understanding what had happened or what she had done. Before she could think too long about it, Leona pulled her into a tight hug while chanting in her ear:

“Thank goodness, My Scheherazade… thank goodness…”

The two remained like that for a while, Leona not letting the other out of his arms while he explained to her everything that had happened. From how he had gotten hurt to what Scheherazade had been doing while she’d blacked out, the boy went over everything. Slowly the girl seemed to regain her senses until she was right back to her usual self. As always, she was much too clever for the young lion to hide anything from; as such, the girl soon stated in a tone of complete understanding:

“So… you were worried you would get in trouble.”

The boy nodded slowly, his eyes moving off to the side again as he clarified:

“I went against the rules by playing with those boys in the first place...”

Scheherazade thought for a minute, stating in earnestness:

“Then… we have to think of something to tell your family.”

Leona nodded solemnly, his eyes moving to the window slowly as he muttered:

“Ah, I wonder if I’ll even see Ruggie again. Maybe he’ll take off running like the others did…”

Scheherazade’s eyes widened slightly, the princess suddenly remembering back to the boy she’d seen at the gate.

“Leona…” she coaxed with a smile, her voice soon taking on an air of excitement as she relayed to him what had happened upon her arrival. Leona blinked in surprise, his own face slightly softening. He hadn’t expected anything like that from the hyena, yet he was still a bit glad that the boy he’d instinctively protected hadn’t just abandoned him completely as the others did.

Slowly he brought out something from his pocket – a yellow and black bandana that was beautifully woven; it was the very same item he had been asked to steal from the shop.

Meeting Scheherazade’s eyes, the boy hummed:

“Then, next time you see him maybe you can give –”

Leona stopped himself, thinking for a moment before he grinned and gripped the cloth tightly, shoving it back into his pockets.

“No, on second thought – I’ll give it to him myself.”

Scheherazade blinked and smiled knowingly before she brought Leona into her arms, making him flush slightly at the contact. She hoped that the second prince would be able to forge a good friendship outside of her, he was certainly capable enough to do so. Leona swallowed in response, his heart beginning to beat faster. A moment of silence passed as the two hugged before Scheherazade asked, making both of them tense slightly:

“Now… what are we going to tell your parents?”


End file.
